RwandAir will become the 12th operator of Bombardier Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop regional airliners in Africa. RwandAir's Q400 NextGen will join more than...

Kigali-based RwandAir, Rwanda’s flag carrier, has signed a firm order for one Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop airliner.

Based on the list price of the Bombardier Q400 NextGen, the manufacturer values the order at approximately US$33 million.

“As demand for domestic and regional travel in Africa accelerates, our 67-seat, dual-class Q400 NextGen aircraft will ensure RwandAir is well positioned to offer increased capacity on popular routes that are being opened and serviced with our 37-seat Bombardier Dash 8-200 aircraft,” says John Mirenge, chief executive officer of RwandAir.

On April 22, 2013, Kigali, Rwanda-based RwandAir ordered a Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprop to replace a Dash 8-200 turboprop in domestic and regional international service. The Q400 NextGen joins four Boeing 737NGs and two Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets in Rwandair’s fleet

“The Q400 NextGen turboprop is the right aircraft to develop our domestic and regional market and to firmly support RwandAir on our path towards growth and increased profitability,” continues Mirenge.

Mirenge adds: “We are also complementing our new dual-class Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets by offering similar cabin amenities on the Q400 NextGen aircraft, providing for a seamless passenger service between the two aircraft models and aligning our total fleet strategy towards a unified passenger experience.”

RwandAir will become the 12th operator of Bombardier Q400 and Q400 NextGen turboprop regional airliners in Africa. RwandAir’s Q400 NextGen will join more than 40 Q400s and Q400 NextGens already in service with, or which have been ordered by, 11 operators in nine countries in Africa.

Bombardier has now booked firm orders for 468 Q400 and Q400 NextGen regional aircraft. Worldwide, Q400s and Q400 NextGens have transported more than 243 million passengers and have logged over 3.8 million flight hours and more than 4.1 million take-offs and landings in service with more than 40 operators in over 30 countries on five continents.

Operating from Kigali International Airport (IATA code KGL) as its hub in the heart of Africa, RwandAir boasts it is the fastest-growing airline on the African continent. By mid-2013, RwandAir’s fleet will consist of two Boeing 737-700s, two Boeing 737-800 jets, two Bombardier CRJ900 NextGen regional jets (delivered new in November 2012) and one Bombardier Dash 8-200 turboprop.

According to Bombardier Aerospace, Rwandair’s Q400 NextGen will be replacing the Dash 8-200.

RwandAir serves domestic destinations and regional cities in Africa such as Nairobi, Entebbe, Mombasa, Bujumbura, Dar es Salaam, and Kilimanjaro. The airline also serves Johannesburg, Dubai, Lagos, Libreville and Brazzaville. Service to Accra, Douala and Juba will start soon.